Pledis Entertainment has officially announced that two SEVENTEEN members, DK and Vernon, will begin their mandatory military service this summer. Vernon is set to enlist on August 20, followed by DK on September 8. Both will continue their group activities until their enlistment dates but will step away from SEVENTEEN activities once they start service. Fans were asked to avoid visiting the enlistment ceremonies to respect the privacy of the members and their families.

DK, whose full name is Lee Seok-min, serves as one of SEVENTEEN’s lead vocalists and is recognized for his strong vocal abilities and leadership within the BSS subunit. Vernon, or Choi Hansol, holds dual American and Korean citizenship but is still required to fulfill the South Korean military obligation. He is noted for his multilingual rapping skills and is also part of the duo V8 subunit with member The8. Ahead of their enlistment, both artists plan to maintain fan connections via pre-recorded content.

With these two enlistments, six SEVENTEEN members will be in military service this fall, including Jeonghan, who discharged in June 2026, as well as currently serving members Wonwoo, Hoshi, and Woozi. S.Coups has been exempt due to a chronic knee injury, and Joshua, THE8, and Jun are exempt due to their foreign citizenship. Other members Mingyu, Seungkwan, and Dino have yet to announce their enlistment dates.

Since debuting in 2015, SEVENTEEN has achieved remarkable commercial success and made history by renewing all thirteen members’ contracts twice. Their New_World Tour, completed in April 2026, attracted over 900,000 fans worldwide. The group and their agency have confirmed plans to reunite as a full thirteen-member ensemble once all military duties conclude, underscoring their commitment to staying together as a complete unit.